The present disclosure relates generally to cloud condition sensing, and in particular to a microscopic imager for an aircraft.
Aircraft are often exposed to extreme weather conditions, which can include severe icing and ice crystal conditions. These conditions can lead to ice ingestion in engine pathways, ice entrapment in moving joints, and ice accumulation on aircraft control services. This can lead to issues with the flight of the aircraft such as engine flameout, increased drag, loss of lift, and/or other issues. Of particular interest are super cooled large water droplets (SLD). SLDs pose a risk to aircraft systems due to their ability to quickly turn into accumulated ice on aircraft surfaces. It is desirable to provide an accurate methodology for detection and quantification of cloud icing conditions, particularly those that include SLDs.